The source said Talib "passed on the chance to do extra work" during the season, leading the team to worry how he would react to a lucrative extended contract. The source said the Patriots would prefer to sign Talib to a one-year "make good" pact in 2013.

Talib had repeated run-ins with the law and off-field issues in four-plus seasons with the Bucs and was suspended four games in October for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing drugs.

The Patriots are in a tricky position here. Talib is 26 and in his prime, and he made the secondary markedly better after the November trade. This was made clear in a playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens, when Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco picked the secondary apart after Talib was forced to exit the game with a hamstring injury.

There's likely to be at least one team willing to offer Talib a multiyear deal. If that's the case, his time with the Patriots likely will be of the one-and-done variety.